Synthesis of urea on the surface of interstellar water ice clusters. A quantum chemical study
Amides, such as urea, are key molecules in prebiotic chemistry because they possess the C-N bond, which is also found in amino acids and nucleobases. Urea has been detected in a few sources in the interstellar medium, raising questions about its synthesis. We characterized various formation mechanisms on the icy mantles of dust grains. We found that presence of icy surfaces is crucial, as they act as reactant concentrators and likely play the role of third body.
leer más…Oort cloud perturbations as a source of hyperbolic Earth impactors
Our latest research focuses on the analysis of an unusual grazing meteor, FH1, detected by the Finnish Fireball Network in October 2022. The meteoroid, with cm-sized dimensions, exhibited an inbound hyperbolic orbit and asteroidal consistency. Our findings suggest that FH1 is more likely a perturbed Oort cloud object than an interstellar interloper, given its orbital plane’s alignment with the ecliptic and proximity to the parabolic velocity limit.
leer más…Formation of interstellar complex organic molecules on water-rich ices triggered by atomic carbon freezing
Atomic carbon gets chemisorbed with a water molecule when lands on water ice surfaces. The formed species can easily react with open-shell species, opening new synthetic paths towards forming interstellar complex organic molecules.
leer más…Adsorption of HCN on cosmic silicates: a periodic quantum mechanical study
Thanks to their acid-bases features, silicate surfaces can efficiently activate the chemical bonds of HCN and favor the formation of nucleophilic CN- species, hence triggering the prebiotic polymerization of HCN to nucleobases in astronomical environments.
leer más…Quantum mechanical modelling of the grain-surface formation of acetaldehyde on H2O:CO dirty ice surfaces
The focus is on acetaldehyde formation on the surface of a H2O:CO dirty ice, through the reaction of CH3 with an icy CO molecule of the surface, followed by a hydrogenation of the acetyl so formed. We suggest that this path is not the most favourable one, and gas phase synthesis is likely responsible for the majority of the acetaldehyde observed in the ISM.
leer más…Computational Study on the Water Corrosion Process at Schreibersite (Fe2NiP) Surfaces: from Phosphide to Phosphates
Periodic quantum mechanical simulations shed light on the reactive adsorption of water on low stable surfaces of Schreibersite (Fe2NiP), which give rise to the transformation of surface phosphide in phosphite and phosphate forms.
leer más…Formation of Complex Organic Molecules on Interstellar CO Ices? Insights from Computational Chemistry Simulations
Atomic carbon gets chemisorbed with a CO molecule when lands on water ice surfaces. The formed species can easily be hydrogenated forming ketene (H2CCO), a key species towards molecular complexity as shown in this work when reacting with open-shell species (atoms and radicals)
leer más…Identifying meteorite droppers among the population of bright ‘sporadic’ bolides imaged by the Spanish Meteor Network during the spring of 2022
In early 2022, the exceptional weather conditions allowed the Spanish Meteor Network (SPMN) to study 15 dazzling fireballs streaking across the sky. This work traces these meteoroids back to their cosmic origins and determine if any of these visitors could have dropped meteorites on Earth.
leer más…Where Does the Energy Go during the Interstellar NH3 Formation on Water Ice? A Computational Study
The mechanisms of the energy dissipation in third body interstellar water ice have been elucidated using as reaction test case the formation of NH3 by successive H addition to N
leer más…Water formation on interstellar silicates: the role of Fe2+/H2 interactions in the O + H2 → H2O reaction
Water formation by reaction of H2 and O on silicate surfaces as a first step towards generation of interstellar ice mantles is possible thanks to the activation of H2 due to interacting with Fe2+ ions and accelerated by quantum tunnelling effects
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